Chapter 22

As the Baron’s caravan was resting for the night on their way back to Bickenstadt, The Baron, Udo, Fergus, and their new comrade Gaius, were sitting around their campfire. Udo was cooking their dinner, some venison they had caught mixed with whatever herbs and vegetables they had on hand fried in butter from Caprae Loco. Udo looked up from his venison and smiled at Gaius.

“You know how to cook, Gaius?”

Gaius stopped stargazing and looked at Udo, tilting his head in confusion.

“Why do you ask? Is cooking a big thing in the Empire?”

“Nah, just curious is all.”

“No, I have never needed to cook before, our chefs handled that.”

Udo flipped his venison steak with a wooden spatula, smiling slightly as it sizzled satisfyingly.

“Well I know with the Baron’s money we could just have someone cook for us right now, but I enjoy cooking. You should try it sometime, who knows, maybe you’ll like it.”

Gaius leaned forward to observe what Udo was doing.

“Perhaps I will. It seems to take some amount of finesse, something us Brayherds are not known for.”

“Depends on wha your cookin’. Soup donnae take nae finesse.”

Fergus commented absentmindedly as he whittled away at a block of wood.

“Oh, an’ speakin’ a trades and hobbies, what dae ya do fer fun, Gaius? An’ what ya good at, in general?”

Gaius stroked his goatee thoughtfully.

“I am an excellent fighter, or, at least I like to think I am. As for hobbies...I like to hunt. And archery is much fun, though I freely admit I am not the finest marksman. Other than that...wrestling. I accomplished the silver medal at Olympiad, and of that I am very proud. I hope to someday make gold!”

“Aye also love wrestlin’! Aye was the best wrestler in mah warband! Never met a man who could best meh!”

Gaius looked to Fergus with a twinkle in his eye.

“How about a Brayherd?”

Fergus stood up and dusted off his pants.

“Would love tae.”

“Gentlemen, sorry to be a killjoy, but would you mind not starting a ruckus?”

Said the Baron as he laid on the ground with his hands behind his head, gazing into the night sky.

“As much as I enjoy friendly competition, I have a pounding headache, and the only thing keeping that from bothering me is the beauty of the night sky. Perhaps wait until we make it Bickenstadt for such competitions?” Fergus and Gaius sat back down unhappily.

“Well, ‘e is gettin’ real old now.” The Baron lifted his head slightly to respond to Fergus.

“I resent that.”

Udo set a plate on the Baron’s chest.

“It’s true though. You’re ancient, man! Surprised you can still move the way you do.”

“Yeah yeah, call me ancient when we literally work with an elf, I see how it is.”

Udo handed plates to Fergus and Gaius.

“Jean ain’t got gray hairs yet, and his back don’t hurt all the time.”

The Baron sat up to eat his meal and frowned.

“My back feels fine...most of the time.”

Gaius roared with laughter.

“Baronis! You sound just like my father! Is that what all warriors sound like when they grow old?”

The Baron bit into his venison steak and pouted like a child.

“Kids these days have no respect for their eld...oh my god I just said the old person thing!”

The lieutenants howled with laughter as the Baron tried to hide his horror at the revelation that he truly was old as dirt.

The first thing the Baron did when he got back to Bickenstadt was to gather his lieutenants to introduce them to Gaius. They all met in the same place they met Jean the first time, Castle Bickenstadt's audience hall.

“Everyone, this is the new personnel I gathered during my diplomatic mission to Caprae Loco. His name is Gaius Bestia Caprae, and I am hiring him as another lieutenant. His skill set is very similar to Udo’s, except he is adept as a field commander, which I suppose makes him better than Udo in every way, doesn’t it?”

The lieutenants all shared a laugh, Udo included. Hans chortled halfheartedly and eyed Gaius suspiciously, which the Baron noted with more than a hint of annoyance.

“Now of course I would never fire Udo, well, not never fire him but, you know, we all need comic relief every once and a while. Where was I? Oh yes! Treat Gaius with the same respect you treat each other, yada yada yada, same deal with Jean. Don’t worry Gaius, we will treat you as an equal, we are pretty good at that sort of thing, isn’t that right Jean?”

“Oh yes of course, they ‘ave been quite accommodating to me! And the Baron me pays better than back ‘ome, so I could no ask for a better employer!”

“See?”

The Baron stuck out his chest proudly. Gaius smiled slightly and turned to address Jean.

“How much is he paying you to tell me that?”

“About 100 Reiksgeld.”

“Hey! I am not! Jean tell him I’m not paying you! I’ll give you 50 Reiksgeld if you clear this up!”

Everyone laughed heartily.

“In all seriousness, I expect you men to treat Gaius no different than you would treat each other. Now, allow Gaius to introduce himself.” Gaius got up from his comically undersized chair and took the Baron's place in front of the lieutenants.

“Thank you, Baronis. As he said earlier, my name is Gaius Bestia Caprae! I come from Caprae Loco, the greatest city in the civilized world! I am experienced in leading men in battle, and I am quite the warrior myself, so I am sure I will be a great asset to the prolific Klarwasser Mercenary Company! I am sure you all are more experienced than me when it comes to leading larger forces into battle. And, unlike many of my brethren, I am not too proud to learn. I look forward to carving out our place in history, together, as comrades in arms!”

Helmut scoffed and crossed his arms.

“It seems that the Brayherds propensity to monologue is not exaggerated at all. I like it.”

Gaius bowed slightly and inclined his head in thanks.

“It is nice to know that the reputation of my people proceeds us. I hope that my caterwauling does not get too old too quickly, because I assure you, there will be plenty of it. My speech is considered quite measured in Caprae Loco. You should hear my father’s orations at the senate, truly a miracle they get anything done with how werbose senators are!” Ludwin cocked his head to the side in confusion.

“Werbose?”

Gaius touched his heart in a gesture of apology.

“Braying has no ‘V’ sound, I apologize, but I may have trouble pronouncing certain words properly.”

Ludwin smiled and shook his head slightly.

“Oh, don’t worry, Fergus’s accent is much stronger, and we understand him just fine. Your accent is excellent, by the way. You must have put in quite a monumental amount of work on learning our language.”

Gaius again bowed and inclined his head.

“You honor me with such an assessment. Oh, and now that I think of it, if anyone would like to wrestle, I am always willing to test my skills against men of the Empire.” Udo cringed slightly and his eyes quickly darted between Fergus and Gaius.

“Are you as good as Fergus? Because we all know better than to offer to wrestle him.”

“We donnae ken because the Baron wouldnae let us fight!”

“Oh would you let that go already?”

“I’ll die mad Baron thank ya very much! Ya cannae stop me!”

“Then hurry up and die then! Gaius, you may wrestle anyone BUT Fergus!”

“You’re nothin’, Baron! Ya old fart donnae let tha youngins have fun!”

“Correct. Now settle down and allow Gaius to settle into his room. We can hold some sort of Bickenstadt wrestling competition if you’d like.”

“Oh, that’d be nice!”

“But you can’t face Gaius.”

Fergus looked genuinely taken aback.

“'ow can a man so old be such a child?”

“I’m a noble, it comes naturally.”

Gaius smiled and patted the Baron’s shoulder.

“Good to know nobility is the same no matter where in the world your trawels may take you. Also good to see how well you get along with your men, it is very refreshing to see such an important man able to banter properly.”

“Yes, it is what I pride myself on! Uh, among other things. Now, allow us to get you settled into your room.”

“Of course, Baronis. Before I leave, I wish to tell all of you, if you ever have a question to ask me, do not hesitate to ask. I will answer anything I have the capacity to. As I stated earlier, I hope that working with me will be an enjoyable experience for all of you. I could go on, but I will not, I imagine you are all busy men. Vade in Pace, Amicis.”

Ludwin smiled brightly and bowed his head slightly.

“Of course, the pleasure is all ours.”

Gaius acknowledged Ludwin’s head nod with one of his own and left with the Baron to find his room.

A couple of days after Gaius was introduced to the Lieutenants, The Baron was going mad doing paperwork. There was not as much paperwork as there was when he first gained ownership of Holenstadt, but every time he looked at the pages his eyes melted out of his skull and his brain leaked out of his ears. There were various projects happening at the same time, and they all needed his oversight, but the more he thought about doing bureaucratic work the more he thought about how good it would be if Seamus had killed him in Holenstadt.

“Maybe I need to start a war for my mental health...wow what a statement.”

He muttered to himself as he scribbled his signature on a piece of paper before realizing he hadn’t even read the proposal. His thoughts, or more accurately lack thereof, were interrupted by a knock on his door.

“Who is it?”

“It’s Hans sir, I need to speak to you.”

“Oh, Hans. This might as well happen, I’m making no progress. Come on in.”

Hans opened the door and closed it behind him gently. The conflicted look on his face made the Baron worried.

“Go on Hans, take a seat. Would you like something to drink?”

Hans shook his head and fell into a parade rest in front of the Baron’s desk.

“No thank you, sir, and I will stand.”

The Baron poured himself a small glass of whiskey.

“Suit yourself. Now, what did you come here to talk with me about? Judging by your facial expression, it’s nothing good.”

Hans shifted uncomfortably.

“Baron...I am...leaving your services.”

The Baron paused briefly as he brought the glass to his mouth, setting it back down without drinking any of it.

“...may I ask why?”

Hans averted his eyes, staring at his feet as he spoke.

“I...I think you know why, sir.”

The Baron leaned forward and rested his cheek on his knuckle.

“Of course I know why, I just need you to say it out loud before I can accept it.”

Han’s face scrunched up like he ate a lemon. He stood in silence for a moment before speaking.

“It’s...because of Jean and Gaius. We have no quarrel with the Brayherds, but I simply can’t abide working with these de...nonhumans.” The Baron sighed and filled his glass completely with whiskey.

“I was afraid this would happen. I would tell you to reconsider, but I believe this is probably for the best. I intend to continue working with nonhumans after all.”

Hans stood in silence for a moment before speaking again.

“Are...are you…”

“Disappointed? To an extent. It hurts to lose talent, almost as much as it hurts to lose a friend, but...such is the way of the world. I just hope you can change your mind in the future. Your way of thinking is not long for this world, I will make sure of it.”

“What is that supposed to mean?”

Shit! That may have been too aggressive!

“Well, I mean social change, of course. Over time people will sour to the old ways, and embrace the new ways, such is the way of things after all. I know the Empire as a hegemonic cultural power tends to puts a lot of emphasis on tradition, but the true nature of humanity is cooperation, not subjugation. Some of you are just too set in your ways to see that.”

Hans went back to looking at his feet.

“...Baron, do you know why I wanted to work with you in the first place?”

The Baron took a sip of his whiskey.

“No, do you have any special reason? Behind my simply funding your education and paying well, of course.”

Hans looked the Baron in the eye, he seemed to have regained some of his confidence.

“Because I felt that you exemplified all of the qualities of the Empire. You were strong, you worked with other men to create a better world, you never allowed your pride to cloud your judgement, you did everything you could for the good of the Empire. Everyone that worked with you was their own person, but you made sure their teamwork was perfect. You perfectly exemplified the Empire’s motto 'An Empire of One', you could take the various people you found and work with them towards a common goal! That is what I admired about you.” The Baron waited for Hans to continue, but he did no such thing. The Baron waved his hand in two circled at the wrist in the universal 'get on with it' gesture.

“...But?”

“But now you’re working with those...subhumans! You’re not just working with the enemies of the Empire, but the enemies of Man! I simply cannot work with someone who would do as such, even if I truly admire them. Just wait Baron, those degenerates will be your undoing!”

The Baron coolly took another sip of his whiskey, looking Hans dead in the eyes.

“...Get out of my province.”

Hans performed a crisp salute.

“Yes sir. It was a pleasure working with you.”

The Baron put his feet on his desk laid back in his chair.

“Of course. And as much as I hate your way of thinking, I will make good on my previous promise. Your family will continue to be taken care of. You may keep your horse and anything else you received during your time under my employment. Now, get out of my sight before I reconsider.” The Baron waved him away with a dismissive gesture.

“Sir.”

Hans left the Baron’s study, leaving him to stare at his desk in complete silence, head balanced on his middle knuckle and pointer finger. After a few minutes of silence, the Baron heard the door to his study open.

“I had a feeling this would happen, father. I say it is a good thing, he would never approve of our plans for the future.”

The Baron didn’t look away from his desk.

“Wolfgang, knowing it would happen doesn’t make it any easier to actually lose someone I considered a friend.”

Wolfgang walked over and poured himself a glass of whiskey.

“Well, the problem is that Hans never considered you a friend, he considered you a superior. He never truly was a good fit for us, he worshipped you as ‘The Baron’, everyone else respects you as a man. He was interested in the Baron, and the rest of them were interested in Johan.”

“And you?”

“Well, I like you as my father, if nothing else. As a baron you are rather subpar., though I believe you would agree with that assessment. I see you still have quite the pile of paperwork on your desk. Don’t worry, I will take care of it. You just gather your thoughts.”

Wolfgang grabbed the stack of documents and moved to leave the room, but turned around as he stood in the doorway.

“Don’t worry about announcing this to the Lieutenants, I’ll inform them of what happened tomorrow. Take tonight off and be Johan, instead of the Baron.”

Wolfgang left Johan alone with his thoughts. Even if he wanted to be angry at Hans, and he really did want to be angry, even furious perhaps, he simply could not bring himself to feel anything but pity. Pity for the brainwashed youth fighting against his own self interest. The anger he felt was not directed at Hans, it was directed at the Empress, the woman who made him the way he is, and the Empire that shaped her into the woman she is. The Baron balled his fist in anger.

“Empress Reikspal, I will destroy you and everything you have worked for. Hans may be too far gone, but I will save the youth of this country from being indoctrinated into your hatred, even if I have to kill every single one of your supporters to do so.” The Baron squeezed his glass so hard it started to creak, causing him to stop just before it cracked. "I need to calm down...but I really don't want to. I need to vent my frustrations...maybe I really should start another war..."

Grossenstadt was just a four day ride from Bickenstadt. Hans never owned very much, so he could move very quickly. As the great gates of Grossenburg came into view he was hit with a profound sense of pride. This, he thought as he gazed upon the sprawling streets of Grossenburg, This is the monument to my people! He rode up to the gates and was swiftly let in by the guards. Ever since his meeting with the Empress all those months ago he had had an easier time getting into his hometown. As he traversed the bustling streets of the greatest city in the world, his feelings of pride were replaced by feelings of nostalgia. He passed by his favorite bakery and immediately spun around to buy some bread, his journey was long and he left so fast he hadn’t had time to gather proper provisions.

“Hans! It’s so good to see you! Why you back so soon? The Baron give you leave?”

The man was the store owner, about as tall as Hans, but decades older, with a bald head, twirly moustache, and a noticeable beer gut. He wore a simple white apron over his beige linen shirt and brown linen pants.

Hans smiled and placed three Reiksgeld on the counter, which the baker took without asking what he wanted. Hans was a regular, and he bought the same thing every time: five slices of pumpernickel with unsalted butter.

“Adolf! The pleasure is all mine. And no, the Baron hasn’t given me leave, I have actually left his services.”

Adolf handed him his pumpernickel and butter and gestured for him to sit down at a table, disappearing back into his shop to retrieve some wine.

“Tell me about your troubles, Hans, I give you my undivided attention. At least until someone else comes in.”

“Oh, it’s really not that big of a deal…”

Adolf poured a glass of wine and slid it over to Hans.

“Well, I’ve already poured the wine, so you might as well tell me anyway.”

Hans sighed and took a sip of his wine.

“The Baron and I have been having some...differences, as of late.”

“Oh? Do tell.”

“Well...he has been hiring degenerates to work for him. And...I don’t know. I have just been getting the feeling he is drifting away from the imperial train of thought.”

Adolf sucked a sharp breath through his teeth and took a sip of wine.

“That sounds rough.”

“It is! I’ve always admired the Baron! He was always so...cool! He exemplified the values of the Empire! But recently...I don’t know. He just feels so...different.”

“Wait, isn’t hiring degenerates illegal?”

“Well, it technically doesn’t apply to him because the Klarwasser Mercenary Company is owned by the Baron, not the state, but no one is entirely sure if that loophole actually works. But, the Baron is too powerful for the Empress to do anything about breaking some minor laws.”

“Hm, typical noble nonesense. If I sold bread that wasn't up to code I could be thrown in prison! Anyways, what are you planning on doing now? You’re a young able bodied man, you going to find another mercenary company to work for?”

“No, I actually have an invitation from the Empress herself! I get to work for the Grand Imperial Army. She will hire me as a Beauftragter Offizier, uh, that's a very high rank.”

Adolf finished his wine and patted Hans on the shoulder.

“Well well well, little Hans Volkner, a high ranking member of the army! I’ve always said you were destined for greatness!”

Adolf reached into his pocket and returned the money Hans gave him.

“Your food is on the house today! And next time you come back I’ll whip up something special for you!”

Hans pushed the coins back to Adolf and stood up from his chair.

“Don’t worry about the money, the Baron paid me extremely well. Plus, isn’t your rent coming up?”

“Oh my! Hans you’re gonna make me cry! You’re so grown up!”

They shared a brief hug before Hans left to find Grossenburg palace, which doubled as the headquarters of the Grand Imperial Army.

As Hans neared the gates of Grossenburg palace, a guard unshouldered his musket and aimed it at Hans.

“Halt! What Business have you at Grossenburg palace?”

Hans fell into parade rest and looked the guard dead in the eyes.

“I am here to see our magnificent Empress Reikspal! Inform her that a former member of the Klarwasser Mercenary Company has come to seek employment.”

The guard considered his words for a moment before shouldering his musket.

“Wait here. Klaus, don’t let him out of your sight.”

The guard disappeared into the palace for a few minutes before returning with two more guards.

“The Empress has requested you be brought to her immediately, these two men will escort you to the throne room.”

The guards escorted Hans to the throne room, which was relatively empty for the center of power of the largest country in the world, hosting only a handful of guards, a few tables of bureaucrats, Spymaster Brusilov, and the Empress herself lounging on her throne. Hans walked up to the petitioner's stand and kneeled.

“Empress Reikspal, I am Hans Volkner, former lieutenant of the Klarwasser Mercenary Company, here to offer my services to you.”

Empress Reikspal was wearing a blue velvet waistcoat with black buttons on top of a simple white collared shirt, with beige men’s breeches tucked into black cavalier boots. At the beginning of her reign her insistence on wearing men’s clothing was a large point of contention among nobles, but after various purges of her political opponents and her obvious military acumen, the criticisms stopped.

“I am glad to see you here, Hans Volkner, you may rise.”

Hans did as was suggested, falling into an impeccable parade rest.

“Since you are seeking my employ, I assume you have been ousted from your previous position.”

“No ma’am, I left the Baron’s services willingly, more or less.”

The Empress leaned forward in her throne and rested her chin on her arm.

“Oh? Do tell.”

“The Baron has hired two demihumans to work for him. I simply could not abide working alongside them. He hired an elf! An elf! And expected me to work with him without complaint! And now he has hired a Brayherd! We have no quarrel with Brayherds, but he is simply going too far! I worry he has lost sight of what the Empire stands for! My Empress, I understand that the word of a mere lieutenant may not mean much, but I implore you to watch the Baron closely! The way he worded things when I was leaving...it just sounded...wrong. I wish I could tell you more, but I cannot. I have a strong feeling that the Baron is planning something that could jeopardize the stability of the Empire! He may not do anything soon, but I am convinced he will do something! What other reason could he possibly have to work so closely with those degenerates?”

The Empress took a moment to absorb what Hans said before turning angrily to Brusilov.

“If Hans has noticed something is off you should have by now. Why have there been no mentions of concerning moves by the Baron in your reports?”

Brusilov idly cleaned his fingernails with his ballistic knife.

“I am not omnipotent, your highness. Perhaps if you would give me more funds I could do a better job.”

“We both know I give you plenty of funds, Brusilov, do not pretend to be helpless.”

Brusilov clicked his tongue and stowed his knife in his boot.

“You ask too much of me блять! You give me more work but same amount of funds блять. The Baron is smarter than you think, Bickenstadt is a hard nut to crack.”

The Empress scowled.

“If Bickenstadt was so hard to work within, why am I just now hearing of it? You’re not hiding anything from me, are you spymaster?”

Brusilov spit on the ground and made to leave.

“You question my loyalty? Пиздец, I need a smoke, deal with your new toy without me. Шлюха вокзальная”

The Empress glared at Brusilov as he left before turning her attention back to Hans.

“My apologies, that was...unsightly. Any other man would be drawn and quartered should they act such as he. But alas, as much as he is dropping the ball, so to speak, he is the best spymaster in the world. I cannot simply be rid of him.”

Hans grimaced before catching himself and forcing a neutral expression.

“Such is the way of things, I always considered Fergus the same way. He is too strong to let go, despite his barbaric ways.”

“Yes, if I remember correctly, Fergus was the one who killed an elven mage singlehandedly during the siege of Leibensburg, yes? He seems to be quite the interesting character. As much as I love speaking about insubordinate subordinates, we have business to discuss. Namely, your position in the Grand Imperial Army. I know I said I would give you the rank of Beauftragter Offizier, but I believe I can make an exception for you. You may start at the rank of Großgeneral. Oh, and do not worry, if you believe you lack experience and expertise, we will train you, and I imagine there will be no shortage of conflict in the coming years to add to your experience.”

Hans saluted in the Empire fashion.

“Yes, Empress Reikspal! I will not let you down!”

Empress Reikspal leaned back in her throne and crossed one leg over the other, smirking slightly.

“We shall see about that.”